Tubing bleeder



Feb. 16, 1937.

H. L. LAUGHINGHOUSE TUBING BLEEDER Filed Feb. 25, 1955 Lli n Tom/fx Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUBING BLEEDER Harry L. Laughinghouse, Long Beach, Calif.

Application February 25, 1935, Serial No. 7,950

1 Claim. (Cl. 137-111) This invention relates to a tubing bleeder by mounted below the cage 4, and for this purpose, means of which the tubing inawell can be drained I provide a coupling 1 which screws into the prior to the removal of said tubing from the lower end of the cage 4. TheXgas anchor then Well. screws onto the coupling 1 in the usual and well 5 An object of my invention is to provide a tubknown manner.

ing bleeder which normally is sealed to prevent My bleeder is mounted in the sub 3 and conbleedng of the tubing, but which can be broken sists of a glass tube 8. This glass tube extends or shattered by means of a tool being dropped transversely thru the sub 3, as shown in Fig. into the tubing, thereby providing orifices which 2. To prevent leakage around the tube 8, I are open to the tubing and will thus bleed the provide packing 9 and I0 around each end of same. the tube 8, and annular nuts II and I2 screw 10 Another object is to provide a tubing bleeder into the sub against the packing 9, I0, respecwhich can not be accidentally opened during the tively thereby holding the tube 8 in position and normal pumping operation of the well and which also preventing leakage around the tubing.

will remain closed at all times until a tool is When it is desired to bleed the tubing which dropped into the tubing to shatter a transverse extends above the pump I, a heavy bar is dropped glass tube. into the tubing from the surface. This bar falls Still another object is to provide a tubing to the bottom and strikes the glass tube 8; this bleeder which is simple in construction and inglass tube shatters, thus leaving two open pasexpensive to manufacture, and which can be sages one on each side of the sub 3 thru which quickly and easily replaced to seal the tubing the fluid in the tubing can pass. In breaking after it has been shattered, in order to bleed the glass tube 8, the portion within the wall of said tubing. the sub 3 normally remains, thus providing a Other objects, advantages and features of inwall in the opening which wall cannot be readily vention may appear from the accompanying. cut by the rush of fluid, which--in the case of drawing, the subjoined detailed description, and an oil well-contains considerable sand. The 25 the appended claim. glass. tube 8 is preferably the usual gage glass In the drawing which is always avail-able around an oil well, Figure 1 is av longitudinal sectional view of the or the like. After this tube has been shattered, tubing bleeder in assembled position in a well. the parts still within the wall of the sub can be Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 easily removed by simply withdrawing the 30 of Fig. l. threaded annular nuts II and I2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the The check valve 5 prevents the oil from flowing numeral I indicates the outer stationary barrel back into the well under normal operation of of a pump--of usual and well known constructhe pump and the Sube Call be bled 0f its fluid 35 tion. This barrel is mounted on a shoe 2. In the only by shattering the tube 8. drawing, the working barrel or plunger-as well Having described my invention, I claim: as the standing valve-are not shown, for the A tubing bleeder comprising a sub adapted reason that these parts, together with the sucker and arranged to be mounted below a pump, said 4Q rods, are removed from the well before my sub having oppositely disposed aligned holes in bleeder is released. the side thereof, a frangible tube extending trans- A bleeder sub 3 screws into the lower end of versely thru said sub and thru said holes, packing the shoe 2 and a cage 4 screws intov the lower end in the holes around the tube, and packing nuts of the sub 3. A ball check valve 5 is mounted in threaded into the holes and arranged around the cage 4 and the ball rests upon the usual the tube. 45

seat 6. HARRY L. LAUGHINGHOUSE.

If desired, a gas anchor (not shown) may be 

